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Christmas for Scotland came a month early this year and, having done so, decided to invite a few others. This nation, which until 10 years ago had barely picked up a racquet, awoke one morning last week to discover it was the proud owner of the No 1 tennis players in the world at both the singles and doubles versions of the sport.

Jamie Murray has always marched to the beat of his own drum, sparing the odd glance to the front of the parade, where his younger brother Andy has invariably been swamped in applause. Now they could be about to make history together, the first brothers to be No1 in the world in singles and doubles.

For patrons missing their darlings, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, this final week of the tennis season in London has opened a window on the future and the view through the winter mist is somewhere between encouraging and uncertain.

British tennis is not all about Andy Murray, even though he is never far from the eye of the storm. Against Argentina in Glasgow on Saturday afternoon, it was Jamie who took the tiller to guide Great Britain to safer waters through a sudden-death doubles four-setter in this enthralling Davis Cup semi-final.

Jamie Murray secured the third doubles slam title of his career and his second in the company of Bruno Soares as they finessed and blasted their way past the Spaniards Pablo Carreño Busta and Guillermo García-López in straight sets on an echoing Arthur Ashe Court.

If a set of tennis can be described as flawless, that which Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares inflicted on Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut in the first 41 minutes of their semi-final win on day 11 of the 2016 US Open is surely a candidate.

When Jamie Murray lands in London on Tuesday he will do so with a grand slam doubles trophy to accompany his bags. He will also be the world No2 and at some stage in the very near future, it is likely he could become the world’s top-ranked doubles player.

For a public high on the exploits of Heather Watson, James Ward and the hope that British tennis is inching its way to respectability, the prospect of both Murray brothers in Wimbledon finals seems tantalising.

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Christmas for Scotland came a month early this year and, having done so, decided to invite a few others. This nation, which until 10 years ago had barely picked up a racquet, awoke one morning last week to discover it was the proud owner of the No 1 tennis players in the world at both the singles and doubles versions of the sport.

Jamie Murray has always marched to the beat of his own drum, sparing the odd glance to the front of the parade, where his younger brother Andy has invariably been swamped in applause. Now they could be about to make history together, the first brothers to be No1 in the world in singles and doubles.

For patrons missing their darlings, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, this final week of the tennis season in London has opened a window on the future and the view through the winter mist is somewhere between encouraging and uncertain.